Love isn't Always as Easy as it Looks
by Tiffy
Summary: Sucky title I know, but deal with it. It's basically a new way of looking at an old plot. Would more people read this if I said the couple was Cloud and Tifa? It's a short story, just read and reveiw please!


Tifa leaned up against the cold railing of the Highwind and she placed her arms crossed over one another on the top bar. She watched below as the world passed by her in a blur of fabulous colors. A satisfied sigh escaped her mouth when she closed her eyes to let the wind get caught up in her hair and face. Five years had passed since that fateful day, and not a single day passed when she wouldn't look back and bless the heros of the world for their sacrifices.  
  
"Tifa?" she heard a male's voice rudely interrupt her solitude. She turned to see a familiar spikey haired man striding up to her.   
  
"Hello Cloud," she responded and turned back away. The two had lately had a farely bad relationship that had been to the point where they wouldn't speak. Every since the end of the world had come and gone, life had become dull and boring and back to its usual routine. Cid had become a pilot instuctor which, in fact, he was at that moment training his new students. Cloud and Tifa had both acquired jobs helping him around on the ship doing some odd little jobs from cleaning the bathrooms to helping fix the engine. Now they both stood on their break with that awkward silence lingering in the air.   
  
"Um...I thought you might want some lunch," Cloud finally spoke up and held out a small paper bag that was folded perfectly at the top. Tifa turned back towards him and gently took the bag from him. She nodded in recognition and kept her back to the side of the giant air ship. She kneeled down to the floor of the ship where she relaxed and began to take out her food gingerly.   
  
"Well, I have to get back to work," Cloud stated dully and turned towards the door to the cabin.  
  
"Wait Cloud, stay here. It's your break and we never talk anymore," Tifa stopped him before he could leave. He stayed silent and pondered the thought. His mind became a bit confused for the two never sat and talked anymore mostly because things were simply awkward and uncomfortable. "So Cloud, how was your day?"  
  
"It has been all right," Cloud replied to her very blunt question. He walked back over to her and kneeled down in front of her. He watched her every muscle move in her mouth as she chewed softly at her food. Her movements were like a ballet to him, every single one a graceful sweep of beauty. Lately, he had never thought about his feelings, for he knew they had died along with a certain somebody ages ago. He smirked at the thought of how he would just long to have this new girl, his best friend wrapped in his arms. "You're right, why don't we talk anymore?"  
  
"Because these days we're both too busy to notice each others pathetic little lives," she gave a sarcastic grin at the end of her sentence. "Anyways, I have a question for you."  
  
"Yes?" Cloud asked relaxing to the ground so he now sat cross legged.  
  
"What are you going to do for life? I mean, you can't seriously just want to sit here and continue to help Cid out."  
  
"Well, I...don't really know. I suppose I would like to eventually settle down in a nice cabin somewhere with the perfect wife," Cloud explained, a little surprised at what escaped his mouth.  
  
"Don't you think that's a little difficult since your "perfect" little wife is a little dead?" Tifa's sarcastic tone had begun to annoy Cloud. That was another thing that had changed ever since Meteor had come and reigned its terror, her attitude on the world had completely changed. Her happy, optimistic attitude was still there at times, but when she was alone a sad, solitude person came to show.  
  
"Tifa, look. I loved Aeris, I can admit that, but now...Tifa...the only person I love more in the world is you," Cloud looked up at Tifa and gazed into her eyes. He had expected to get her crying in her arms, weeping and confessing her feeling back, but she didn't. She sat silent with her upper lip curling in anger.  
  
"Bull shit Cloud!" she exclaimed while abruptly standing on her two legs. "You are such a bastard!   
Aeris dies and you think you can just move on to the next unsuspecting victim? Well, I'm not going to be that little girl that you can crawl to just because you can't get over the past. No Cloud, I loved you, I truly did. But until you can prove to me that you love me...for me, I can't except these empty feelings from you."  
  
Cloud sat speechless and he felt hurt. Was that all he truly felt for her were some empty feelings? No, that couldn't be right. If that was all he felt then why did her little speech tear his soul appart. He wanted to run in a corner and cry, but his ego would never allow him to do such a childish act, and especially in front of this mad woman whom he loved.  
  
"Cloud, things change in this world. I have waited for you to say those words for so long, but there is no feeling behind them. You still can not get over that..." she paused as she tried to hold in her bad choice of describing words, "...woman, and it's killing you. It kills me that you think that you can then just come to me and expect me to fill in that void, that even you don't know what it's about."  
  
"But...Tifa, I know what I feel," Cloud's voice was almost a whisper as he bowed his head down to his chest.  
  
"If you know, then you will know where to find me," she explained and cupped her hand around his chin to make him look up. She wore a smile of gold and her eyes sparkled that beautiful wine mahogony. She then took her hand away and made her way to the cabin of the ship where she had readyed her chocobo for a long journey ahead.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Cloud sat on the bridge of the Highwind as he watched out the gigantic glass plate at a small chocobo running off with the love of his life. He grasped onto the bars that kept the viewers from falling to a painful death. He continued to tighten his grip tighter and tighter until his knuckles turned white and pain shot through out his hands and arms.   
  
"Cloud? What's the matter kid?" an older man's voice asked from behind him. Cloud ignored the voice and continued to watch out of the viewing glass. "Hey, don't f*cking ignore me. I'm the pilot of this ship! I have control!"  
  
"I let her get away," Cloud answered quietly after hearing his friend raise his voice. Cid Highwind blinked in shock as he watched his friend go under some convulsions as the tears streaked down his cheek.   
  
"What the hell happened?" Cid inquired and stepped softly up to his side.  
  
"I told her...I told her what I felt...but she said it wasn't good enough..."  
  
"F*ck I hope she did. You kept on moping for days and she tried to cheer you up but all you did was ignore her and say you wanted to be f*cking left alone. Now she did, and are you happy? You got your f*cking wish." Cloud stood in silence as he felt another tear escaped and burn down his cheek. "F*cking birds Cloud, you didn't even love her."  
  
"If I didn't love her...then why does it hurt so much?" he asked in a melodramatic tone as he looked up to Cid. His blazing blue eyes shined as the coating of tears covered them once more.  
  
"Well, go get her then," Cid stated simply.  
  
"But...where? She said that if I really loved her, then I could find her..."  
  
"Then go f*cking find her! You know her better than me," Cid began to grow impatient with the foolish boy. He crossed his arms over his chest as he took a puff on his cigarette.   
  
"Cid, thanks. You've done so much for me," Cloud told his gratitude.  
  
"Yeah yeah, don't get all sappy here, save it for Tiffers. Now get your little punk ass out there before I blow it off this damn ship!" Cloud, for once in a long time, smiled as he exited out of the bridge and into the main building of the Highwind.   
  
  
  
***  
  
  
  
A week had past and Cloud could find no sign of his dearly beloved. His first stop was automatically in Nibelheim where he expected her to be sitting on the well. When he arrived, there had been no sign of her what so ever, leaving him curious and dumbfounded. After resting there for a night, he geared up his chocobo and continued on his long journey, even though he was lost to the world.  
  
Days of mindless wandering had past and he found himself stumbling into the Bone Village. He stopped to to ask if there was any sign of the young girl.  
  
"I saw her walk through the woods there," a small child responded to his question. She was probably the age of 5 with a small, very familiar looking pink bow holding her hair. She had a light brunette hair that could almost glisten gold in the light of the sunny day. "I can take you to her."  
  
"So she really is here?" Cloud mused to himself. He smiled and nodded to the small child in agreement. "Close your eyes, and don't peek!" she demanded as she pulled him through the entrance of the woods. She took his hand in hers and pulled him into the forest where his daydreams drowned out the real world.  
  
He felt her pull on him a little harder and he kept his eyes tightly. A soft laughter was heard in front of him as the woman continued to pull him through the woods. He followed blindly on as the love of his life pulled him quickly through the labrynth of the forest.  
  
"Cloud," the sweet voice of that familiar somebody called his name. "Cloud we're here. It's time..."  
  
"No, I don't want to leave. I want to stay here with you," he protested and he opened his eyes. He watched her shaked her head slowly in disagreement.  
  
"No Cloud, you don't. I am there now, with you, and I always will be. Our souls are not connected like you want them to be, please understand," the innocent voice continued to explain.  
  
"But, how do I know that you're there?"  
  
"Trust me...you will know..." her voice faded out as a realization began to awaken the fallen hero.  
  
"Mister?" the little girl asked again. She looked up at Cloud with her bright emerald green eyes and a look of discern crossed her face.  
  
"I think I can handle it alone from here," Cloud explained as he looked at the small path leading him to his love. He began to pick up speed as he saw a light at the end of the short tunnel of stooping trees. He continued, faster and faster until he was finally blinding by a shooting light but he continued on forward until he found his arms wrapped around his true love.   
  
Tifa lept up in his arms and hugged him tightly around his neck. She felt his slightly chapped lips be placed upon her velvety soft ones as they were entangled in each others body. Cloud spun the two around for a minute before stopping to deepen the kiss and seal their love for each other.  
  
"Cloud," Tifa finally spoke after the two separated. "Perhaps now it won't be hard to find a conversation between the two of us." A smile spread across her face as she looked into the depths of his eyes and only saw herself, letting her know that she was the only one he cared about.  
  
"Tifa, promise me that you will never leave me," Cloud whispered in her ear as he grasped her in another embrace.   
  
"I promise Cloud," Tifa spoke softly before engaging him in another kiss.  
  
Neither of the two had noticed the small visitor spying on their little romance quarrel. She stood, her arms crossed and a satisfied smile on her face. Cloud, I promise, I will always be there for you, even if it isn't the way we both want it to be.  
  
Author's Note: One shot deal there! Ha, I'm not even going through and spell checking it right now because I just want to see what kind of reviews it'll get. I promise, I will spell check it tomorrow once I get a chance to and then I'll probably re-upload it. Well, unless there are no mistakes that are too clearly visible. *cough cough bull shit cough cough* Oh yeah, sorry 'bout all the cussin'. Oh well! 


End file.
